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Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve vs Wilderness Trail Bottled-in-Bond
Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve and Wilderness Trail Bottled-in-Bond sit on opposite sides of a familiar divide: an old-guard, rye-forward classic versus a new-wave, wheat-forward craft style.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve | Wilderness Trail Bottled-in-Bond |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | High-Rye Bourbon | Wheated Bourbon |
| Mash Bill 1 | 75% corn, 13% rye, 12% malted barley | 64% corn, 24% wheat, 12% malted barley |
| Age | 9 years +3 yr | 6 years |
| Proof | 120 proof (60% ABV) +20 proof | 100 proof (50% ABV) |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$45 – $55 | ~$45 – $60 |
- Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve does not publish an official mash bill.
- US shelf prices as of 2026-08; they vary widely by market.
AG’s Rating and AG’s Notes
Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Wilderness Trail Bottled-in-Bond
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve Wilderness Trail Bottled-in-Bond
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
spice 7/3 spice: Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve 7 out of 10, Wilderness Trail Bottled-in-Bond 3 out of 10
oak 8/5 oak: Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve 8 out of 10, Wilderness Trail Bottled-in-Bond 5 out of 10
fruit 3/6 fruit: Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve 3 out of 10, Wilderness Trail Bottled-in-Bond 6 out of 10
heat 8/5 heat: Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve 8 out of 10, Wilderness Trail Bottled-in-Bond 5 out of 10
nuttiness 7/4 nuttiness: Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve 7 out of 10, Wilderness Trail Bottled-in-Bond 4 out of 10
sweetness 6/7 sweetness: Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve 6 out of 10, Wilderness Trail Bottled-in-Bond 7 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
Rye spice is the dividing line here.
- Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve: The same nine-year Knob Creek juice bottled from a single barrel at 120 proof, and the extra strength suits it. Everything the standard bottling does, turned up — with the barrel-to-barrel variation that comes with the format.
- Wilderness Trail Bottled-in-Bond: A sweet-mash, bonded wheated bourbon from a distillery founded by two fermentation scientists, and the technical care shows in how clean it tastes. One of the strongest craft arguments on the shelf.
Which One Should You Choose?
- Go with Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve if you want the Beam profile at serious proof for well under what most barrel-strength bourbons cost with an older age statement.
- Go with Wilderness Trail Bottled-in-Bond if you want a bonded, sweet-mash wheater from a modern distillery doing genuinely careful work with the texture that comes from skipping chill filtration.
Best enjoyed neat, old-fashioned (Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve); neat, rocks (Wilderness Trail Bottled-in-Bond).